Graduate Student Success

Runs in the Family: Child Prodigies Pursue Undergraduate and Doctorate Degrees at UC Davis

When 14-year-old Tiara Abraham first started classes at UC Davis this quarter, she already knew what to expect — her older brother has been enrolled there since he was 12. In fact, Tiara comes from an Aggie family: mom Taji earned her M.P.V.M. in 1997 and brother Tanishq ’18 graduated with a degree in biomedical engineering and is currently working toward his Ph.D. (Dad Bijou went to Cornell University, but he still wears his Aggie gear proudly.)

Late Professor Inoue's Students Finish His and Their Research, Earn Ph.D.s

Four years after plant sciences professor Kentaro Inoue was struck and killed while riding his bike, the last three graduate students from his lab are ensuring his scientific legacy lives on through their published research, careers in industry and academia, and mentoring of future science students.

Philip Day, Laura Klasek and Lucas McKinnon successfully completed their doctoral degrees in the past year, having continued their studies with the support of plant biology professor Steven Theg, one of Inoue’s colleagues, and the Department of Plant Sciences.

Geography Ph.D. Candidate Nicholas Robinson Awarded $25,000 Leifur Eiriksson Foundation Graduate Fellowship

Drawing from the Foundation’s $5.8 million endowment, the awards support Icelandic students attending graduate school in the U.S. and American graduate students studying or doing research in Iceland. The grants are open to students from all disciplines enrolled in any graduate program in the U.S. or Iceland.

Robinson (right) is studying the domestic demand for Icelandic-grown vegetables and fruits, as well as local knowledge of agroecosystem management. He will work with the Faculty of Life and Sciences at the University of Iceland.

Integrative Genetics and Genomics Ph.D. Student Marwa Zafarullah Wins Emmy Werner and Stanley Jacobsen Fellowship

Zafarullah, a Ph.D. student in the Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group, investigates the pathology of a rare neurodegenerative disease called Fragile X- Associated Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome (FXTAS). Predominantly affecting men, this debilitating disorder typically manifests after the age of 50. Its progression can be rapid, with symptoms including a substantial decline in movement and cognition. Currently, there are no cures or treatments available for FXTAS.

Grad Slam Finalist Profile: Animal Behavior Ph.D. Student Amelia Munson

 UC Grad Slam is an annual contest in which master’s and Ph.D. students across UC campuses – in disciplines ranging from hard sciences to humanities – compete to sum up their research for a general audience. Students present the significance and fundamental points of their work at UC Davis in a clear, direct and interesting manner. Finalist Amelia Munson is a graduate student in the Animal Behavior program.

Grad Slam Finalist Profile: Nursing Science and Health-Care Leadership Graduate Student Kristina Rodriguez

UC Grad Slam is an annual contest in which master’s and Ph.D. students across UC campuses – in disciplines ranging from hard sciences to humanities – compete to sum up their research for a general audience. Students present the significance and fundamental points of their work at UC Davis in a clear, direct and interesting manner. Finalist Kristina Rodriguez is a graduate student in the Nursing Science and Health-Care Leadership program.

Grad Slam Finalist Profile: Education Ph.D. Student Kayce Mastrup

UC Grad Slam is an annual contest in which master’s and Ph.D. students across UC campuses – in disciplines ranging from hard sciences to humanities – compete to sum up their research for a general audience. Students present the significance and fundamental points of their work at UC Davis in a clear, direct and interesting manner. Finalist Kayce Mastrup is a graduate student in the Education Ph.D. program.

Grad Slam Finalist Profile: Linguistics Ph.D. Candidate Peter Joseph Torres

UC Grad Slam is an annual contest in which master’s and Ph.D. students across UC campuses – in disciplines ranging from hard sciences to humanities – compete to sum up their research for a general audience. Students present the significance and fundamental points of their work at UC Davis in a clear, direct and interesting manner. Finalist Peter Joseph Torres is a graduate student in the Linguistics program.